Browse Items (1041 total)

In July, before starting work with the BEW, Kenneth drove home to Richmond for a visit with the family. He took a vacation and played golf with Bill.

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Kenneth's driver took him to a large house and spoke with some women before Kenneth was told to come on up. So he went up and was escorted to a bedroom. This house, or mansion, was the dwelling of an American graves mission that was out there hunting…

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Will asks if Kenneth visited Borobudur on this trip, a site of ancient ruins in Java, but Kenneth is not sure, though he thinks so. He remembers climbing the monument, one of the earliest Buddhist monuments in Southeast Asia.

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The Weldebreton Prison had originally been the Prins Hendrik Fort, which was built to defend against the British. Once the need for it had passed they turned it into a prison.

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Kenneth traveled to Saigon, and then to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, where he had a three-day visit with King Sihanouk, who had not yet abdicated his throne in favor of becoming a politician. Sihanouk knew that Kenneth didn't speak French too well, so he…

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What Donovan wanted from Kenneth was reports on the situation in Southeast Asia as he knew it; the French in Indochina and their relations with the Thai, for instance. Another report had to do with the British in Burma, and where Malaysia and…

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Kenneth only called on President Roosevelt once, he says, and he didn't say anything. Donovan did all the talking, presenting Kenneth's report. This was at the end of the three weeks. After this, Kenneth said to Donovan that his three weeks were up,…

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While Margaret was staying with Miss Cole to learn about her experiences in Siam, Kenneth wrote to tell her that he had met with the son of a close friend of Anna Leonowens, Mrs. Moore, in Chicago. He arranged to meet Mrs. Moore. Anna's…

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One night in Hanoi, Kenneth and his driver were going along at night in the little "bathtub" car when the driver lost control of the car at a crossroads. They drove head on into one of those sandbag gun embankments. There was yelling and screaming…

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Kenneth arranged with Cochran to have a tour of the islands. Cochran had a Marine colonel with a two-engine Beechcraft, and a co-pilot, six feet four tall or more, and Kenneth toured Java. They flew over to a volcano, the highest mountain on the…

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When Kenneth traveled out to Southeast Asia in late 1945, after the war, he had another experience concerning time. He was to meet some Siamese officials and US Legation members. Kenneth urged his fellow Americans to be on time, but they would hurry…

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The negotiations went on week after week. Finally, Mr. Byrd decided to dispose of Kenneth, saying that he was assuming a knowledge of the country of Thailand that he really didn't possess. He expressed admiration for Kenneth's father as a scholar and…

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One night, Charlie Yost, Irena, and Kenneth had gone to the Royal Palace, and were standing about having "pre-prandial drinks" when the lights went out. Phumipol lit a cigarette lighter and held it under his chin, so that everyone was in shadow,…

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Kenneth explains why the OCI became the OSS. The OCI was concerned with developing and coordinating information, and its staff consisted of scholars on the areas of interest. The OSS included that function but also had other branches of "activists…

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Kenneth says the US would not have declared war on Japan if the Japanese had not attacked Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. The US did not oppose the Japanese even when they were stripping China and murdering people by the millions. There are many…

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Upon being appointed to Thailand, William Donovan needs to meet with Walter Robertston. Kenneth phones his office and tricks him into having a meeting with Donovan, as he was in the office listening to the phone conversation. When the time seemed…

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As Donovan has been recently appointed to be the Ambassador to Thailand, Kenneth must brief him on what this might entail. As Kenneth spent several weeks with Donovan in Thailand, he explained Thailand's relation to other countries of South and…

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In 1953, William Donovan became our ambassador to Thailand. A woman named Ruth, who headed the passport office, warned him that he needed to cultivate a relationship with the desk officer for Thailand if he wanted things to go well. She was an old…

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While Donovan was in Thailand, he'd go on lengthy walks daily. He would walk during the heat of the day, wearing down even the marines who would guard him. When asked about it, he merrily responded that he wasn't fearing death--he wouldn't ask anyone…

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Kenneth received, through some persuasion, a three year contract at American University.  He was instantly chosen to set up the Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies. The program was quite successful and active, as Kenneth was quite up to date…

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When he later worked on the Operations Coordinating Board, he often said that he had been given the best outdoor job in town. He was officially assigned to follow up on all operations to carry out U.S. policy in countries from Afghanistan to the…

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At the State Department, Kenneth's official title was International Relations Officer, Southeast Asian Affairs. He worked chiefly with Thailand to begin with. Then for a time he also handled Indonesia. The State brought someone in to be the Chief and…

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Kenneth, now not having work because his position had been abolished, looked to solve his situation. He found Walt Rostow's office to be of interest, and did some work for him without anyone's knowing, as technically it wasn't allowed under mandate.

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Wriston decided that the State Department needed to be restructured. In this, It was decided that, rather than having two different services, the departmental officer and the foreign service officer, it would be best if the two were merged into one.…

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Kip has been reading Kenneth's letters of the time to Margaret, who was still in Richmond, Indiana with the children. Kenneth was forever expressing concern about her health, and urging her to walk for exercise, something she loathed to do. "I just…

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